Old Harbour win 3rd Kevon Godfrey Memorial Invitational

The hosts defeated Campion College 31-21 in the five-team tournament which included Jamaica College, Calabar High, and Ardenne High.

The annual event is being held for the second year in a row in honour of the late past student of Old Harbour High Kevon Godfrey, a talented basketball player who died from cancer aged 17 in the United States of America in 2017, a year after receiving a basketball scholarship to Redemption Christian Academy in Massachusetts.

Speaking at this year’s third inauguration guest speaker Dr Lindberg Simpson, who is head of surgery at Kingston Public Hospital, implored the players to be supportive of each other and become more health conscious.

“When we are on the court we compete, but when the game is finished we are all basketball players, we are all Jamaicans and if we do that the whole sport will be better,” said Dr Simpson. 

“Kevon unfortunately died from cancer and that is not something that he had anything to say or do; he had no choice in the matter. But as young men growing up you have a choice in your personal life. As you work and you play hard and achieve success, it is very important to take care of yourself, take care of your body.”

Dr Simpson added: “It is very important that you remain true to yourself, remain true to the people who work hard to carry you where you are. So just like how you playing hard and you control yourself, you get a foul and the referee doesn’t call it, you don’t bruk a fight! It’s the same way when things are not going your way, you have to find a way as young man to control yourself.

Don’t lose your temper on the court, don’t lose your temper at home with your parents. These are the things which are important, these are the lessons we want you to learn by getting more competition and by interacting with more role models like your coaches and your colleagues.”

Paulton Gordon, president, Jamaica Basketball Association, encouraged the players to take the game and their academics serious.

“As you would have known some of the players already overseas, basketball is paying for their academics. So tackle both of them with the same sort of zest: the basketball side and the academic side,” said Gordon.

Derjean Royal was named tournament MVP.